1981 Yamaha Virago XV920 Alpha

1981 Yamaha Virago XV920 Alpha

Published on May 6, 2020

After shedding a whole lot of weight from the bike, the first step was to integrate a complete 2008 Yamaha R1 front end, setting the stance of the bike and creating a key feature of the upside down front forks. From that point, the big decision was the fuel tank. I discovered the XJ600 Diversion petrol tank and felt it nicely dressed the top of the V-twin engine, neatly setting up the lines for the rear end. I then constructed a unique bolt-on rear subframe spending many hours hand sculpting the shape for the seat unit and tailpiece integrating the key lines and features of the fuel tank. From this “buck” I created a fiberglass mold and a fresh one-off part with a seat base to match.

The rear subframe provided ample space to position a motogadget mo.unit blue and facilitate a full re-wire of the bike by eliminating a mass of relays, fuses and dated wiring and allowing for the integrating of very sleek Rebelmoto LED switchgear. The battery was relocated from the side of the bike to underneath, utilising the strong mounting points of the centre stand and rear (now front) foot peg supports. Freeing up the side of the bike by moving the battery allowed a new route for the exhaust and I designed and built a custom stainless-steel exhaust system. Radically changing the seating position on the bike meant rear sets were used to move the foot controls of the bike.

A unique paintjob highlights the key curves of the bike and features a brushed effect within the bronze/gold swoosh.

We named the bike “Alpha” ahead of its debut at this year’s Bike Shed Show in London’s Tobacco dock (May 2019).